UK Association of Family & Systemic Psychotherapy Conference · 2025
Relational Alchemy: Incoherence in Connection, Creativity, and Change
Presented at the UK Association of Family & Systemic Psychotherapy Conference 2025 in Brighton, this session explored how unpredictable, messy moments in human interaction can be sources of transformation rather than disruptions to orderly therapeutic practice. Drawing from systemic, narrative and creative perspectives, Kökçinar and Goodman challenge highly structured models of therapy and invited participants to consider how incoherence and relational randomness can reveal deeper connection, spontaneity and authentic engagement.
The session reframed moments typically avoided, including ambiguity, disjunction and surprise, as rich terrain for meaningful change. Through experiential exploration, storytelling and reflective practice, Kökçinar and Goodman demonstrate ways to disrupt rigid patterns and cultivate relational spontaneity, offering practical insights for therapists to integrate creativity, unpredictability and deeper attunement into their clinical work.
Why this matters for practice
This is why our courses are experiential rather than lecture-based. You practise staying in the uncertain moment instead of managing it away. Both Family Therapy Foundations and Art Therapy Foundations are built on that principle.
Full reference
Kökçinar, R. R., & Goodman, A. (2025). Relational alchemy: Incoherence in connection, creativity, and change. UK Association of Family & Systemic Psychotherapy Conference 2025: Honouring our ancestors and envisioning our future, Brighton, United Kingdom.
This paper informs how we teach systemic practice at AkindaCo. See Family Therapy Foundations, our two-day family therapy training in Adelaide, or the rest of our conference presentations.